The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-07-08
"reminiscences Of Twenty Years Ago In
the Second District.
For The AEqis and MteRiaeneer

lNteNtytNCeT.
One summer evening, about twenty years
ago, man and his ten-year old son might
have been seen walking towards Midtown,
located about mile and a-half south of Level
The man has been called to that realm from
which no traveller returns, while the boy, now
grown to manhood, takes his pen to memoir
ize the event which was TO take place the
Aforesaid summer evening. The word had
gone forth among the neighborhood that
meeting would be held ON the certain speci-
fled evening to consider the advisability of
changing the name of the place. Now "Aiud-
town" was not an improper name for the
place, If the name was to be taken as an in
dication OF the roads passing through it,
which was surely as muddy as place could
well be. Right here would say that twenty
years have made great changes in the roads
all over the county, and in no place more
than throughout the second district II goes
without saying that the public roads, up to
within few years ago, were none the best,
and it may be taken as sure indication of
the progress and intelligence of the people
that the highways of travel are kept in good
repair.
Well the store was the place where the
representative citizens met to change the
name of "Mudtown." There were NOT per.
haps more than ten or twelve persons pres
sent After several names had been suggest
ed, Richard Lofin, generally known as
Squire Lofin, proposed the name of "Ayon
dale" as asuitable one. He said there was
small place by that name in Chester county,
Pennsylvania.
After some discussion and elaboration il
was unanimously decided that "Avondale" it
should be, and presto! it remaineth Avon.
dale to this day. We might speculate as to
the city of Avohdale, (that is to be,) with its
mills and factory sleeples reaching to the
clouds; its grand central depot when the
Deer Creek and SusSuehanna Railroad ia
completed, but we refrain from doing So
The names of those who changed the name of
the place were, as near as can remember
Messrs. Richard Lofiin, Samuel T. Baldwin,
Lewis Smick, James Ford, Wesley w. Hoop.
man, Joseph McCommons, Louis McCom-
mons, George Gilbert, Sidney Armstrong,
Michael Farrell, Hosea Barnes, George Dc
laney, James Wiles, Albert Lonn and A. w.
Walker.
There has been general Frightening up
ABOUT the place in twenty years but no
radical changes. A new Baptist Chapel
adorns the corner at the cross roads and Mr..
Delaney has creditable store on the oppo-
site corner for the accommodation of the
neighborhood. The first Sunday School |
ever attended was in room above the wheel
wright shop which stood on the spot where
this store now stands The shop was owned
by MIR. George Baldwin, who owned and on
Grated 1t in conjunction with the blacksmith
shop near by. Mr.. Baldwin was superin.
tendent OF the school with Oscar Blackburn
as librarian The school was held in the
afternoon it was not large, but it will take
an eternity TO tell what good it NAV have
done 10 planting the good seed in the hearts
OF little children, which, for aught we know,
may bear fruit, some an hundred, some sixty
and some thirty fold, In the honor and glory
of God.
This Sunday School had pic mic on one
occasion, in what was then q beautiful grove,
but now cultivated field, on the place of
MIR. A: w. Walker at the Grapevine Spring.
Seals had been provided, q stand erected for
the speakers, cake, lemonade and candy were
besides swings and other amuse-
menls. 1t was gala day, sure enough. Rev.
MIR. Norris addressed the meeting. think
he was the pastor at Rock Run Church at
the time.
The school house at Avondale has stood
for many years. Around it cluster tender
that only death can efface. Look
ing upon life now with Its cares and RESPONSE
bilites, which ever gather as we grow older, l
often revert to this old spot where, as bare
footed boy of six summers, / fist trod thesanc-
tum of school house.
The teacher was Christian H. Walker. still
q resident of the neighborhood. Those ofthe
teachers remember were James Loflin, Miss
Henrietta Lotlin, Miss Maggie Cook, Miss
Cordelia Evans, Isaac Coale, John A. Cal
houn and later, "yours truly"
Corner ball was q favorite game and MANY
Of the lucky hits are remembered vet. No
more quiet or peaceful community in Har-
ford county can be found than this.
But as look back upon old scenes. how
my heart swells up until can scarcely speak.
see by aid of memory many faces that l
never shall see again. Death, ever ON the
alert, has called many away, among them
those that loved only with the pure and
simple love of childhood. Among those who
have died of very late years, were Richard
Lotlip, Samuel IT. Baldwin, John Bupyan
Bailey, James Ford, William Wiles, Robert
Mes Commons, Elmer McCommons and John
Alfred McCommons, besides many others.
IN the BfSle we read, after the beautiful story
d Joseph, %nd Joseph died and all that
generation" ~ 1t not as true now as then,
hat we die, one generation after another.
Until every vestige oNhe old is gone, and be-
lold all things become new. And you, nv
lear reader, and will have our turn, will
bass away like the mist of the morning and
&c no more forever. Does IL not become us
o mediate what it all meansp To consider
whittier we are goingp If we earnestly do
his our prayer will continually be, 80 teach
10 to number our days that we NAV apply
'ur hearts unto wisdom" May we seek
wisdom by fearing God, love Him with our
oul, mind and strength and our neighbor
IS we love ourselves. OscE0LA.